Hardboiled - The Fall of Sam Shadow

“Pulled off triumphantly... every transition is fluid and purposeful, with smart lighting and sound design adding real depth to a creative, characterful production.”

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Time Out

Los Angeles, 1947. Scene 1, take 1.

Sam Shadow sits in his office waiting for his next client. He's no ordinary private investigator: he's scourge of the underworld, a man with ice where his heart used to be, the last bastion of morality in LA. Or so he'd like to think.

When the stunning Scarlett Addison walks in, Sam is thrown headlong into a shadowy world of murder, corruption and double crosses. A man's gone missing, electricity blackouts are more frequent than a loser at a blackjack table and the city’s in chaos. From LA’s dark streets to decadent hillside mansions, the deeper Sam digs the dirtier his hands get, until he discovers the true meaning of being a good guy in a bad world.

Inspired by classic film noirs like The Big Sleep and Chinatown, Hardboiled is a slick and witty journey through a celluloid world of crooked cops, private eyes and femme fatales. Sit down and grab the popcorn, because Sam's fall is coming and it's going to hurt like hell.

Hardboiled is a co-production between Rhum and Clay, The Watermill Theatre and Beth Flintoff. This production is supported by New Diorama Theatre's Emerging Companies Fund and is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

A joyful and absorbing show, as easy to get lost in as a murky alleyway on the wrong side of town. ★★★★

— The Stage

Created by Rhum and Clay Theatre Company & Beth Flintoff. Devised by the company.